The Houston Rockets face a huge dilemma with Kevin Durant ahead of their first round Game 2 against the Los Angeles Lakers.
Durant is listed as “game time decision,” meaning his availability for a crucial series game is still hanging in the air.
Without Durant in Game 1, the Rockets fell to the Lakers at the Crypto.com Arena and will look to avoid a 2-0 deficit before the series moves to Houston.
Part of their plan may involve risking Durant and deploying him on the court Tuesday night.
Houston Urged To Apply Caution With Kevin Durant
If made available for the lineup, Durant won’t be the first player to shake off an injury and play through pain.
The Minnesota Timberwolves had Anthony Edwards play in Game 2 of their own Western Conference first round series, despite the 24-year-old guard dealing with a nagging knee issue.
However, not everyone is leaning onto the idea that Houston must follow a similar approach.
ESPN Bobby Marks certainly doesn’t think it will benefit the Rockets to rush back their 37-year-old star.
“If he’s 50%, I’d probably sit him,” Marks said on “NBA Today” on Tuesday. “He’s going to make the decision. I think [the Rockets] should have enough to win tonight without Durant. You got to clean up your offense. That’s the most important thing. And they’ve had 72 hours to digest as far as where they were Saturday and where they’re going tonight.”
Durant reportedly injured his knee in practice last week as sources said he had a knee-to-knee collision with a teammate. While the diagnosis speculates it isn’t severe, some medical experts suggest that it could be very painful and limit movement around the knee area.
Durant played 78 regular season games for the Rockets and unlike Edwards, who is 24, playing through pain main result to a recurring problem, something Durant has tried to overcome
Even with Durant in the lineup, the Rockets have been far from an awesome offensive unit. They often struggle to create quality shots in the half court, particularly because they lack a true point guard.
Table-setting duties were reserved for Fred VanVleet, who suffered a torn ACL before the start of the season.
Outside of Durant and third-year pro Reed Sheppard, the Rockets are also limited in perimeter shooting, something that was evident in the Game 1 loss.
GettyKevin Durant sits on the bench.
Can the Lakers Capitalize on Rockets Star’s Injury?
Even if Durant plays tonight, there is simply no way he’ll be out there at 100% health.
According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, Durant is dealing with an injury severe enough to sideline a player for at least two weeks. Durant’s ultra-competitive spirit is the only reason why his status hasn’t already been downgraded to out.
Meanwhile, a win for the Lakers tonight would deliver a commanding 2-0 lead heading to Houston. That sounds a lot better than hitting the road tied 1-1.
L.A. hopes to attack on offense tonight similar to how it did in Game 1 — with the glorious distributing of LeBron James and the inferno outside shooting of Luke Kennard, who cashed all five of his 3-point attempts Saturday.
Head coach JJ Redick has emphasized the importance of playing with desperation.
If the Lakers do that, they give themselves a legitimate shot of jumping in the driver’s seat as the series shifts away from Los Angeles.
Rockets Receive Harsh Warning on Kevin Durant’s Injury Before Game 2 vs Lakers